Well, what's done is done, unless they turn around and trade us back Pronger for Jackman, Backman, and T.J. Oshie.

I found these 2 pages on HF of <a href="http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospect/jeff_woywitka">Jeff Woywitka</a> and <a href="http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospect/doug_lynch">Doug Lynch</a>, but i'll post the whole thing here anyway.

History An outstanding junior hockey defenseman for the WHL's Red Deer Rebels, Woywitka was also a member of the 2003 Canadian team at the World Junior Championships, the 2000 U-18 Gold Medal Team and won a Memorial Cup with Red Deer in 2001.

Named a WHL first team allstar in 2002-03 and a second team allstar in 2001-02.

Acquired by the Oilers before Christmas 2003 along with a 1st round pick (Schremp) and a 3rd round pick in 2005 for holdout center Mike Comrie.

Talent AnalysisOilers scout Chris McCarthy describes Woywitka in this way: "He's a solid 2-way D-man with good size and skills, He uses his attributes to his advantage, can play the power play, and does the little things well. Jeff skates well for a big man, can lug the puck out of his own end and he also has a very good shot from the point.â€

FutureWoywitka certainly is a front runner for a rookie job next season in Edmonton if there is no NHL work stoppage. Target NHL Year: 2004-05 (sounds like he may be ready this year? Could beat somebody out for the 6th or 7th d spot)

HistorySelected seventh overall as a center in the 1998 WHL Bantam Draft by Red Deer, Lynch moved primarily to the position of defenseman in his first WHL season. In 00-01 he improved his offensive output tremendously, helping Red Deer capture the WHL and Memorial Cup titles. He also performed for Team Orr at the 2001 CHL Top Prospects Game. In 01-02 he expanded his role on the Rebels to become more of a team leader.

Lynch, 20, spent the 2002-03 season with the Red Deer Rebels and Spokane Chiefs of the WHL, finishing with 13 goals and 17 assists in 55 games. After being traded to Spokane, Lynch suffered a broken left forearm which kept him out of the lineup from late February until the second round of the playoffs. Lynch signed a three year contract with Edmonton May 28, 2003.

Lynch was named to the AHL's Rookie Team for the 2003-04 season after also being selected to play at the All-Star game.

Talent AnalysisLynch is a good skater for a big man, with decent acceleration, and good speed and a large stride. He has good balance, is quick on his feet, and skates well in reverse. Because of his days at forward, he knows the offensive game well, and does a good job of supporting the rush. He is an excellent power play man because of his skating, passing, and accurate, low point shot. Lynch is improving defensively, engaging in the physical game, and playing strong along the boards and in front of the net; he is hard to beat one-on-one.

Doug was one of the elite Oiler prospects to attend the Oilers Rookie Camp in Sherwood Park in Summer 2003.

FutureLynch is pegged as one of the future cornerstones of Edmonton's defensive corps and could conceivably make the club as early as training camp 2004-05.

been looking at HF's edmonton msg board, most are ecstatic to get Pronger, some think they overpaid but can live with it cuz they get Pronger, even more happy once they find out he signed for 5 yrs. Surprisingly most didn't want to part with Lynch and would rather lose a forward prospect (as would most here), barely anyone misses Woywitka.

Here's the <a href="http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/blues/story/A6185C479FAF658F8625705200230F26?OpenDocument">PD story</a> Goold said Rutherford would write (Goold seems to have co-wrote it)

Quote:

Pronger is dealt to OilersBy Jeremy Rutherford And Derrick Goold Of the Post-Dispatch08/03/2005

Saying the team could not oblige Chris Pronger's desire for a long-term contract, the Blues traded the former MVP and Norris Trophy winner to Edmonton late Tuesday night.

Pronger, who was holding a $7.22 million qualifying offer from the Blues, was dealt for Oilers' defensemen Eric Brewer, Doug Lynch and Jeff Woywitka.

"Chris has been a great player for us," Blues general manager Larry Pleau said. "He's been a workhorse, logs a lot of ice time, played through injury, I can't say enough about him. Since I've been here, eight or nine years, he's been here the whole time. And he's handled himself in a first-class manner the whole time.

"But this franchise right now economically . . . the term that we knew Chris was looking for was something we couldn't do."

The rumors began last week that the Blues were interested in dealing Pronger, 30. But the NHL entry draft came and went without any moves by the Blues. Anaheim and Florida were two of the teams said to be interested in acquiring the 6-foot-5 defenseman.

"There were rumors, enough rumors that you knew eventually something would happen," Pronger said. "But this wasn't one of the names you heard about. I think it's every Canadian kid's dream to play at home. It's an appealing spot for that reason. It's something exciting to have that chance."

Still, he said it will be difficult leaving the Blues.

"I had 10 wonderful years here, met a lot of terrific people," Pronger said. "I have a lot of great friendships from here, I met my wife here and I grew up from a little boy to a man, really maturing in front of everybody's eyes here. I'll miss it. I'm an Oiler now."

Said Pleau: "It's always hard things like that. Dealing with a person like him, it's hard to do these types of things. But it's something we had to do, something that's right for this franchise, to get something in return."

While the Blues were not interested in signing Pronger to a long-term contract, Edmonton already has approached Pronger's agent, Pat Morris, about a long-term deal.

Rather than let Pronger leave as an unrestricted free agent after this season, though, the Blues decided to get value now for their team captain, who came to St. Louis in a controversial trade for Brendan Shanahan in 1995.

"Well it's obviously something that was a difficult decision for (the Blues)," Pronger said. "Not knowing the future and what I was going to do next year as an unrestricted free agent and not being able to give me the long-term deal that had been asked about - it was a difficult decision, I'm sure."

Pleau said it was important to get value in return.

"We weren't going to let him walk if we didn't have to," he said. "We took it one step at a time. The first step was qualifying him. From there, what can we can get?"

Pleau would not comment on the amount of interest in Pronger, but said he was more than happy with the players the Blues are getting in return:

Brewer, 26, spent the last four seasons in Edmondton, averaging seven goals a season and 25 points there. A member of Team Canada's 2002 Olympic gold medal team at the Salt Lake City games with Pronger, Brewer is a stout defenseman at 6 feet 3, 220 pounds, but one rooted in plus-minus, not in points produced.

He was a member of Edmonton's power-play unit, getting three of his seven goals in the 2003-04 season and seven of his 18 assists with the man advantage.

Lynch, a 22-year-old defenseman, collected 109 penalty minutes and 14 points over 74 games with Edmonton's American Hockey League affiliate in the 2004-05 season. The 43rd pick overall in the 2001 entry draft, Lynch has height - 6-3 - and is developing the strength to be a bruising blueliner. A product of the Red Deer team in junior hockey's Western Hockey League, Lynch topped 180 penalty minutes twice while playing for the Rebels.

Jeff Woywitka, a teammate of Lynch's in Red Deer and on the Edmonton Roadrunners (AHL), has similar size, though he has shown flashes of offensive potential. Woywitka, a 21-year-old defenseman, is 6-2, 209 pounds. In the 2004-05 season, he scored six goals and totaled 26 points over 80 games for the Roadrunners. He was drafted 27th overall by Philadelphia in 2001.

"Very happy with Brewer," Pleau said. "He's a star in this game. He logs a lot of ice time. The two young kids, we feel like they're going to be good NHL players. I'm looking forward to all three players. All three have size."

The Blues now hold a $2 million qualifying offer on Brewer. Pleau said he hopes the team can sign him to a longer-term contract.

"We'll work on that as soon as we can," Pleau said.

Lynch and Woywitka are signed through the 2005-06 season on entry-level contracts.

They were part of a young Edmonton team that Pronger said he knows a little about.

"I know they're a good young team," Pronger said. "They have a lot of skilled players up front, good young guys on the back end. I've played with (coach Craig MacTavish) and I know some of the other guys up there."

Other moves

The Blues signed three more forwards Tuesday. The only one with NHL experience is Trent Whitfield, a 5-foot-10, 204-pound center, who scored six goals in 44 games with the Washington Capitals in 2003-04. Whitfield, 28, had 17 goals and 38 assists playing last season with the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League.

The Blues also said they signed minor leaguers Jeff Hoggan (left wing) and Ryan Ramsay (center). Hoggan, 27, had 16 goals and nine assists with the Worcester IceCats in 2004-05. Ramsay, 22, had six goals and 12 assists with Worcester last season.

Couldn't sleep, so I got up and decided to see if there had been any more signings....
wow.. This one came out of left field.. Who wud a thunk - Edmonton???

With the ownership situation, our budget, and within the context that Pronger simply had to be dealt or lose him for nothing at the end of the year - we got more than I expected. Brewer is no Pronger - but - he's a very good dman.
With every GM in the league knowing that Pleau's back was against the wall, I was fully well expecting to get no more than a medicore player and a couple of draft picks.

It really sucks that we are losing the best dman in the game simply because the owner is bugging out.
Personally, I feel priveledged to have had the opportunity to watch such a great talent play here all these years. I have always thought that Pronger controlled the defensive zone better than any dman since Orr. When Al MacInnis is your number two defenseman - you know you have a stud in the guy ahead of him.

Couldn't sleep, so I got up and decided to see if there had been any more signings....wow.. This one came out of left field.. Who wud a thunk - Edmonton???

With the ownership situation, our budget, and within the context that Pronger simply had to be dealt or lose him for nothing at the end of the year - we got more than I expected. Brewer is no Pronger - but - he's a very good dman.With every GM in the league knowing that Pleau's back was against the wall, I was fully well expecting to get no more than a medicore player and a couple of draft picks.

It really sucks that we are losing the best dman in the game simply because the owner is bugging out. Personally, I feel priveledged to have had the opportunity to watch such a great talent play here all these years. I have always thought that Pronger controlled the defensive zone better than any dman since Orr. When Al MacInnis is your number two defenseman - you know you have a stud in the guy ahead of him.

Good luck Chris..

Welcome aboard Eric Brewer!

ditto. Pronger and Mac has been the corner stone of our defense for years. I can just imagine the Edmonton D growing better and better with Pronger leading them. Now we don't have a Norris-caliber dman to groom our young defensemen anymore. Kinda wish the Lauries never bought the team, imagine what that'd be like...
man, saw the trade, read up on some stuff about brewer, lynch and woywitka, read the PD article also. still can't sleep, the sun's about to rise.

one last thing to throw out there. Pleau seems kinda limited with his trading partners, going back to Edmonton again this time. Others being Phoenix (Tkachuk, Savage), and Dallas (Turek, Bacashihua)

If I remember right, good old CSD used to rave and rave about Woywitka.

God this sucks.

I consider myself a blues apologist, and it's true, we traded the best D-man in the league for 3 players who could all be in the top 30-40 D-men in the league in 5 years, with Brewer probably being a top 10-15 dman by that time.

It's a good trade. But, God it sucks.

The Blues apologist in me: This must have been how it felt when Shanahan was traded.

I was one of the only ppl who was glad to see this cat, out of alot of hockey friends. I think it sucks, but thats only because he was my favorite Blue. I will continue to support the team that i love, and will get a partial ticket package to once again see my Blues. Not my favorite player. I know something better will happen, perhaps a signing, or a better future. My main goal is to see the cup, in STL. Go Blues.

_________________Busy putting the crosshairs on those Missouri Pachyderms

Wow.. as much as I knew this would happen its just weird to see it.. I think in the long run, with the new economic structure this will turn out to be a good deal.. Hopefully with the extra cash whe have on hand now we can sign a decent forward.. but as Sauer said "the lavish spending days of the St. Louis blues are over" so I don't know, we may be seeing our 05/06 Blues..

Furthermore, this is just an embarassing and pointless trade.. Brewer is an RFA and my guess is he'll command at least 2 mill a year. So if we say he gets 2.5 mill.. With the pro contracts for the other 2.. That's 3.5 mill a year.. Versus Pronger's 7.2 million. We're saving 3.7 (franking) million dollars.

This franchise is going to give away the best player that has ever put on its jersey (save Gretzky) so Bill Laurie can save 3.7 million? Are you f*cking kidding me?

Woywitka and Lynch won't be counting against the Blues' cap.

It's only "embarrassing and pointless" if you ignore the reality that Bill Laurie is a shortsighted lame-duck owner who doesn't have the intelligence or the cojones to finish what he started.

But when you account for Laurie's foolishness, it's not devastating news. The outcome could have been much, much worse.

The payroll is now at the level Laurie wants. The sooner Laurie finds a buyer, the sooner we can all look to the future.

If the team goes into the tank for the first 35 games, Tkachuk and Weight may be interested in waiving their no-trade clauses, which might bring more future compensation. Or maybe we've got a gem in Mike Kitchen, and this group of no-stars can continue that pointless playoff streak. Either way, the next 365 days aren't embarrassing and pointless; they're just the gateway to the next 365 days.

_________________

Covenant wrote:

It's been a couple years since the Wings have been shutout, and it certainly won't be broken by the lowly Blues.

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